Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-09

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The chart below shows the percentage of households in owned and rented accommodation in England and Wales between 1918 and 2011.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The bar chart compares the proportion of people who owned houses and those who rented a houses in England and Wales from 1918 to 2011.

Overall,previously people used to rent houses then buying,with passage of time the number of owning the house increases dramaticaly in both England and Wales.

Acoording to the given data,in 1918 the proportion of renting houses were extrmely massive approximately 78%,on other hand at same period of time own houses were at lowest point at 22%.The number was seen dropping with the passage of time,in 1939 a noticable drop was seen in renting to almost 68%,which was followed by slightly increase in owning to 33%,in 1953 the number in both sectors remain the unchanged.In 1971 the percentage of former and latter became equal to 50%.

However,the ratio of owning a house were increases in 1981,to 60%,renting housing were dropped by 10% (to 40%).from 1991 to 2011 the proportion of owming houses slightly changed .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the chart’s subject and report its main long-term pattern: renting falls while ownership rises, with the two reaching 50% in 1971. Several figures are also accurately selected, including the 1918 split and the 1981 proportions. However, the overview is imprecise: “previously people used to rent houses then buying” does not clearly summarise the full trend, and “increases dramatically” overlooks the slight decline in ownership from 69% in 2001 to 64% in 2011. The final period is left vague, and the 1991 and 2001 figures are not reported. Develop the overview to mention the peak and late reversal, and compare the two categories consistently across the final years.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to chronological details, and the sequence from 1918 through 1981 is generally easy to follow. Time markers such as “in 1918,” “in 1939,” and “in 1971” help orient the reader. However, the final paragraph stops at “from 1991 to 2011” without completing the comparison, so progression is incomplete. Some linking is mechanical or unclear: “which was followed by” does not make the relationship between the two categories precise, while “However” does not signal a clear contrast with the preceding paragraph. Use separate, purposeful comparisons and ensure each paragraph develops a complete stage of the chart.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “proportion,” “percentage,” “dropping,” and “remained unchanged,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, such as “renting houses were extremely massive,” “the number in both sectors,” and “the ratio of owning a house.” These expressions make the data description less precise. Spelling errors are also noticeable, including “Acoording,” “dramaticaly,” “extrmely,” and “owming.” Prefer standard terms such as “share of households,” “ownership rate,” and “rental accommodation,” and check spelling carefully. More precise verbs such as “declined,” “rose,” and “peaked” would help describe changes without awkward phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, and the reader can follow the broad trend. However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors in agreement, articles, verb forms, and punctuation occur frequently. For example, “the proportion of renting houses were” has a subject–verb agreement problem, while “the ratio of owning a house were increases” combines an incorrect verb form with agreement errors. Articles and plurals are also inconsistent in “a houses” and “own houses.” Several sentences run together after full stops, as in “40%).from 1991,” and spacing around commas is irregular. Practise building accurate comparisons with a clear subject and verb, then proofread each sentence for agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries.

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